Well, 2025 is officially here, which means it’s finally time for me to publish my annual “best of” post, where I share my favorite photos from the year in chronological order. Click here to view previous “Best of” posts. If you follow me on social media, you’ve already seen a lot of these in recent days, as I’ve recapped my favorite photos taken throughout the year. In this post, though, I’ll go into a little more background on each photo, and why I chose it. And, yes, there are 50 photos in this post, because when you take more than 50,000 photos in a single year, narrowing down your favorites can be a difficult process. I always wait until January 1 to post this, just in case I take a really good photo on New Year’s Eve, which, in this case, I did! Some fun facts before we begin: Over half (28) of the photos were taken at Saratoga Race Course or the Oklahoma Training Track. This makes sense, considering the sheer volume of photos I took there alone this year (nearly 40,000, but who’s counting?). Only three of the photos have nothing to do with horse racing, and only two photos were taken outside New York or Kentucky (both were taken on Cape Cod). Each of this year’s Triple Crown race winners appears, as well as three of this year’s Breeders’ Cup winners. Finally, fall is the season with the least number of photographs, with six.
Big Time Lady in the Snow, January 9 – Mahoney Eden Manor, Saratoga Springs, NY
Britt Wadsworth and Sean Mahoney’s mare gave birth to her first foal, a filly by Yaupon, a couple of days after this photo was taken. I just love taking photos in the falling snow. It creates a bit more of a challenge, with the snowflakes sometimes making it harder to focus properly, but the end result is so beautiful.
Against All Odds in the Snow, January 9 – National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs, NY
Shortly after I took the above photo, the snow was still coming down and I set out to take more photos. I loved how the snow looked on the Against All Odds statue, which depicts Johny Henry narrowly defeating The Bart in the inaugural Arlington Million at Arlington Park. The statue was moved from the now demolished racetrack to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2023.
Union Ave. in the Snow, January 9 – National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs, NY
This photo was taken less than a minute after the previous one. I loved the look of the falling snow outside the museum with the scene lit only by street lights.
Kisses for Tina Bobina, January 24 – Mahoney Eden Manor, Saratoga Springs, NY
Britt Wadsworth gives a kiss to Big Time Lady’s first foal, a filly by Yaupon.
The Important One and Her Pinehurst Colt, February 17 – Mahoney Eden Manor, Saratoga Springs, NY
I love seeing the mamas and babies bonding!
Handy Stan in the Snow, February 17 – Old Friends at Cabin Creek, Greenfield, NY
A light snow flurry comes down around Handy Stan at Old Friends at Cabin Creek before feeding time. I love this photo of him. Sadly, we lost Stanley in May at the age of 14.
A Shin Forward in Winter, February 17 – Old Friends at Cabin Creek, Greenfield, NY
Last winter was Shin’s first at Cabin Creek, so I was happy to get this snowy photo of him that day. A Shin Forward, a Group 1 winner who raced entirely in Japan and Hong Kong, is the third highest earning New York bred of all time, having banked $3.4 million. Only Mind Your Biscuits and Funny Cide are ahead of him in earnings among horses foaled in the Empire State.
Two Yearlings on a Chilly Day, February 19 – Irish Hill Century Farm, Stillwater, NY
It was a chilly afternoon and I had just finished visiting with mares, foals, and stallions at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater. Before leaving, I took this photo of these two yearling colts, who seemed to pose so artfully for me.
Mary Union Ave Heads Out to the Track, March 2 – Aqueduct Racetrack, Queens, NY
Being involved with a racehorse has been a really fun experience. That day at Aqueduct was my first trip to the Big A and my first time seeing Mary race. It ended up being her best finish (4th), and I had a blast watching her run in the rain. After nine starts and no on-the-board finishes, we retired Mary this past fall and she is now at New Vocations in Kentucky.
Commentator Close Up, March 16 – Old Friends at Cabin Creek, Greenfield, NY
I love a good close up shot. I took this photo of Tator, and when I got home, I thought it might just pop in black and white. Once I converted it, it became one of my favorite photos from the year.
Churchill Downs Panorama, April 2 – Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
For some reason I didn’t have my wide lens on me when I took this photo, so I took a panorama with my 50mm lens. The ominous sky looks cool, but shortly after I shot this, it started to pour (see below).
A Downpour at Churchill Downs, April 2 – Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
Nobody likes the rain, but a secret is that photographers usually do. A good photo taken in the rain can often be far more compelling than one taken in dryer conditions. I’m glad I had my 135mm f/1.8 lens with me that morning, because there was not much available light. Somehow, I managed to get this horse and rider in focus despite the heavy rainfall, which can pose a challenge with focusing.
Brendan Walsh Gives Pretty Mischievous A Hug, April 3 – Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, KY
This was a serendipitous shot. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and I looked over and off in the distance I saw trainer Brendan Walsh giving 2023 Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous a hug before taking a gallop at Keeneland. For folks who may only follow racing casually, I hope photos like this underscore how loved and well care for these equine athletes are.
War Front Runs in His Paddock, April 3 – Claiborne Farm, Paris, KY
Starstruck much? I was lucky enough to see and photograph a lot of famous horses this year, among them iconic stallion War Front. Covered in dirt after taking a roll in his paddock, he ran over to us so we could all get a look at his handsome face.
Into Mischief in Black and White, April 4 – Spendthrift Farm, Lexington, KY
It’s not every day one is in the presence of such greatness…unless you work at Spendthrift Farm. It was incredibly thrilling to be able to photograph record setting stallion Into Mischief, who has been the number one sire in America for the past five seasons.
Opening Weekend at Keeneland, April 6 – Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, KY
Opening weekend at Keeneland’s spring meet last year was a chilly one, but it was still beautiful. I loved the way the sun was shining on the grass on Saturday.
Sierra Leone wins the Blue Grass Stakes, April 6 – Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, KY
Sierra Leone looked to be one of the most promising three-year-old on the road to the Kentucky Derby, but after his Blue Grass win in April, he kept finishing second and third in subsequent races. Finally, in November, he made up for it with his win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Seeing him win this Derby prep race was exciting leading up to the Run for the Roses.
Aurora at the Spa, May 10 – Oklahoma Training Track, Saratoga Springs, NY
May 10, 2024 will go down in history as one of the most amazing nights of my life. I just happened to be scrolling through X shortly before 10 PM when I kept seeing posts saying that northern lights were visible in northern parts of North America. I decided to head to the Oklahoma Track to get some photos, and what I saw was simply breathtaking. This photo here is one of my three favorite photos I’ve ever taken. In June, it was published in the Horsemen’s Journal’s summer issue. It is currently in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame as part of their annual Photo Finish exhibition.
Northern Lights Over the Starting Gate, May 10 – Oklahoma Training Track, Saratoga Springs, NY
This photo is also very special to me, because it was my first cover of The Saratoga Special. My relationship with The Special started in June when some of my photos appeared in their four day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival print run, and continued into the summer, as I was one of their photographers for the Saratoga summer meet. It was truly a very exciting and rewarding experience, and I am so thankful to Tom Law, Joe Clancy, and Sean Clancy for inviting me to be a part of their respected publication.
Mystik Dan Gets a Bath, May 24 – Oklahoma Annex, Saratoga Springs, NY
This was my first time photographing the Kentucky Derby winner. I will say I am a sucker for horse bath photos.
D. Wayne Lukas Ponies Seize the Grey, June 7 – Oklahoma Training Track, Saratoga Springs, NY
Sometimes you look at a photo and you know it was meant to be black and white. This was one of those photos. It was so exciting watching Seize the Grey in his morning routine the day before the Belmont. I was one of probably about a dozen or more photographers following him around that morning!
The Very First Belatoga, June 8 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
The first Belmont Stakes at Saratoga did not disappoint. The fans were roaring so loudly as the field headed down the stretch that it was pretty hard to hear the call! What I love about this photo is that it not only shows the horses, but the immense crowd that was there that day too.
Dornoch Gallop Sequence, June 19 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
I recently began doing gallop sequence photos for various horses at the track. I’ve done it for a couple of race finishes as well. I essentially track the horse as it goes by me, and when I stitch the photos together, it makes a panorama. This one of Dornoch being galloped by exercise rider Priscilla Schaefer is my favorite.
Two of the Best, July 10 – Oklahoma Training Track, Saratoga Springs, NY
The day before the opening of the summer meet at Saratoga, I happened to spot these two Kentucky Derby winning trainers talking shop, D. Wayne Lukas on his pony and Kenny McPeek on foot with Sonny the dog on the ground supervising. You never know who you’ll run into at the Spa!
Sunrise at the Spa, July 17 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
Saratoga has some beautiful sunrises, and the morning of July 17 was one of them. I haven’t been able to determine who this Chad Brown trainee is (or the name of the exercise rider), but I really like the photo.
Thorpedo Anna wins the Coaching Club American Oaks, July 20 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
A very happy José López (left) and Pablo Gallegos escort “The Grizzly” to the test barn after her third consecutive Grade I win.
Pat Quick and Fergi, July 25 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
One of my tasks as photographer for the Saratoga Special was to capture the everyday scenes of life at the track and on the backside. Trainer Pat Quick and his dog Fergi are two faces you’re bound to run into in the morning at the Spa. I ran into the pair a couple of times during the meet. One morning, Pat shared that Fergi had a play date later that day with Shug McGaughey’s dog.
Officer Barrett on Apollo, July 27 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
Officer Glenn Barrett of the Saratoga Springs Police Department is a friendly face at the track. You’ll usually see him on his trusty standardbred Apollo (Most Fun Yet).
Fierceness Wins the Jim Dandy, July 27 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
The clubhouse turn is one of my favorite places to shoot a race. You can get a great shot of the field passing by for the first time (if it’s a route race), and then you get these great gallop down photos of the winner. I felt like this was one of my better ones, because the light was really pretty that afternoon/evening. Fierceness ended up winning the Travers as well. The fact that this photo made it to the cover of The Saratoga Special made it all the more special to me.
Katie Davis Wins the RUS Charity Match Race, July 27 – Saratoga Harness, Saratoga Springs, NY
While most of my photography centers around thoroughbred racing, every so often I head across the street from the flat track to Saratoga’s harness track. For the second year in a row, the harness track hosted a charity match race. This year, there was one sulky race (pitting former thoroughbred jockey Robbie Davis against driver Brett Beckwith) and an RUS race (pitting thoroughbred jockey Katie Davis, Robbie’s daughter, against standardbred trainer Michelle Crawford). Katie won the RUS race aboard Echo de Meautis. I love the expression on her face as she crosses the wire.
Ominous Skies Over the Spa (Panorama), July 31 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
After I took this photo, not surprisingly, it started to rain. At the far turn of the backside with no shelter nearby, I swiftly put on my poncho and walked briskly to the front side where I took shelter under the grandstand as I waited out the rain delay that was holding off subsequent races.
Dylan Davis Celebrates a Win, July 31 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
Those ominous skies from the previous photo are present in this one as well. They created an interesting light for portraits. Dylan Davis had a personal best meet at Saratoga, finishing fourth in the jockeys standings. He finished out the year as NYRA’s leading rider.
Arthur’s Ride Wins the Whitney, August 3 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
As I mentioned before, the clubhouse turn is a favorite vantage point for me at the track. This was one of my favorite shots of a field coming around the turn. I like how the winner, Arthur’s Ride, is front and center.
Halina’s Forte (Inside) Wins the Galway Stake, August 10 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
I managed to catch three three-way photo finishes from inside the inside rail during the summer meet. That is pretty significant, considering how I don’t very often shoot from there. They always make for a compelling shot.
Carson’s Run Wins the Saratoga Derby Under a Rainbow, August 11 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
Carson’s Run’s win in this race gave jockey Dylan Davis his first Grade I win in the U.S., and marked a very special occasion for his owners, West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey. The Christophe Clément trainee is named after a man named Carson Jost, who suffers from Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. This is the same disorder that 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish’s namesake, Cody Dorman, had.
A Packed Winner’s Circle, August 15 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
Over 100 MyRacehorse partners celebrated in the winner’s circle after Manhattan Twist broke his maiden at first asking. The Todd Pletcher trainee is owned by a partnership between MyRacehorse and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing.
Downpour at the Spa, August 15 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
Saratoga certainly gets its share of rain, and this summer was no different. In this photo, patrons take cover during a deluge.
The Filly and the Colt, August 24 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
The race of the year! A groundswell of girl power packed the house at Saratoga to see a filly (Thorpedo Anna) run in the Travers. It had been over 100 years sine a filly had won it, and by all accounts, it seemed Thorpedo Anna had a pretty good chance. As the field headed down the stretch, it was 2023 Champion Two-Year-Old Male Fierceness and the filly in a thrilling finish. Who would get up in time? In the end, it was Repole Stable’s homebred Fierceness by a head.
Throwing the Flowers, August 24 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
In this photo, Hall of Fame jockey John Velázquez ceremoniously throws flowers from the Travers flower blanket while sitting atop Fierceness in the winner’s circle. Fierceness’ groom Byron López beams at left, as does Todd Pletcher foreman Juan Aguayo behind him.
Erma Scott Gives Kisses to Arthur’s Ride, August 29, Oklahoma Training Track, Saratoga Springs, NY
Erma is a beloved member of the Bill Mott barn. She loves to show off the stars of Mott’s star studded stable. In this photo, she is giving a carrot to Arthur’s Ride, who gave the trainer his first Whitney win in his stakes debut.
Immersive Wins the Spinaway, August 31 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
I love this photo for two reasons: It was pouring rain (as I mentioned above, photos taken in the rain are often more compelling than those taken in drier conditions), and jockey Manny Franco shows his sheer joy and excitement on winning one of the last Grade I races of the meet. Immersive subsequently went on to win the Grade I Alcibiades Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, essentially making her a slam dunk for Champion Two-Year-Old Filly at the Eclipse Awards later this month.
Chancer McPatrick Gets a Bath, September 2 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
Chancer McPatrick had the distinction of winning the last stakes race of the Saratoga meet, the Grade I Hopeful Stakes for two-year-olds. The Chad Brown trainee won this following a maiden win earlier in the meet. After the Hopeful, he subsequently won the Grade I Champagne Stakes at Belmont at the Big A, putting him on track to potentially being named Champion Two-Year-Old Male, but a lackluster sixth place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile makes that prospect unlikely at this point.
Magic at the Spa, October 7 – Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
Well, I thought I was pretty darn lucky to catch the northern lights on May 10, but again on October 7 I was treated to another, if not a little less spectacular, showing. Having already shot at the Oklahoma Track, I decided to go to the main track this time (I had taken a few photos at Skidmore College earlier in the evening). This was one of the last photos I took before they started to fade away. If you told me on January 1 of this year that I would see northern lights not once, but twice, in 2024, I’d say you were crazy.
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Comet Over Saratoga Lake, October 18 – Saratoga County Veterans Memorial Bridge, Saratoga Springs, NY
2024 was really the year of celestial beauty! I don’t usually get too excited over comets, but when I heard this one wouldn’t be visible again for another 80,000 years after it disappeared, it piqued my interest. I absolutely could not see the comet with my naked eye. Through my EVF, I could just barely make it out enough to compose my photos. In the final shot, it is much easier to see.
Silhouetted Pony Rider, October 19 – Oklahoma Training Track, Saratoga Springs, NY
I love a good silhouette. Pair that with early morning fog and some fall foliage in the background, and I’m a happy photographer.
Thorpedo Anna Gets Hot Walked Amongst the Fall Foliage, October 19 – Oklahoma Annex, Saratoga Springs, NY
A couple of weeks before she shipped out to California to run in (and win) the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, I went to see Thorpedo Anna do one of her final works. Hanging out at the Annex with several of her other admirers and watching her get hot walked, bathed, and grazed amongst the beautiful fall foliage was one of my favorite memories of this fall.
Mr. Cowboy in Fall, October 19 – Old Friends at Cabin Creek, Greenfield, NY
Fall foliage? Check. Beautiful horse posing perfectly? Check. Mr. Cowboy is one of the younger residents of Cabin Creek at 15. He has the distinction of being the only horse foaled on the farm.
Magical Wellfleet at Night, November 29 – Wellfleet, MA
While visiting family on Cape Cod for Thanksgiving, I took this spur of the moment photo looking across Duck Creek to Uncle Tim’s Bridge and the town of Wellfleet in the background. This scene was not quite as spectacular during the day, with the leaves off the trees and no snow on the ground, but at night, it just looked gorgeous.
An Incredible Cloud Over Cabin Creek, December 21 – Old Friends at Cabin Creek, Greenfield, NY
While feeding the horses with a fellow volunteer, I brought my smaller camera along, just in case one of the horses did something cute or the sunset was really spectacular, as it often is while feeding in the winter. As I stood at Be Bullish and Patrick’s paddock refilling their water buckets, I saw this incredible pink/orange cloud in the sky. I took a shot and this is the result.
This takes us to New Year’s Eve, where I witnessed the final sunset of 2024 at Mayo Beach in Wellfleet, MA with family. This photo was actually taken well after sunset, but it ended up being my favorite of the evening. I set up my tripod and took a 30 second exposure of the scene.
I had a pretty amazing year photographically (and otherwise), but I am excited to see what 2025 brings! Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year!
To see more of my equine photography be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook. All photos and videos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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Stunning!